


set me free, we're wide awake

by outinthisrain



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lieutenant Duckling, Cursed Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Cursed Emma Swan, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lieutenant Killian Jones/Princess Emma Swan, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outinthisrain/pseuds/outinthisrain
Summary: Years ago, Lieutenant Killian Jones was cursed by a witch as punishment for refusing to partake in her sinister deal. When he awoke, her angered stare had disappeared from sight and he found himself feeling strange in his own body.Soon, he realised that his body was no longer his own.He is left in his new form with no knowledge of how to break his curse, so he wanders the realm with no purpose in particular, but that is until he meets a young woman, another lonely soul cursed to spend the rest of her life in absolute solitude, and he learns that perhaps there is still some life left in him to find the courage to embrace a new one.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	set me free, we're wide awake

Killian is flying above the endless canopy of trees just like any regular night when he hears it – a gentle voice humming in the wind.

He thinks he has imagined it at first, but he strains his hearing and catches it again. A flutter of hope – something he hasn’t been familiar with in an achingly long while – stirs in his chest and persuades him to follow the pleasant sound until he discovers what is making it.

It takes him a little while, but when the source of the sound is undoubtedly right in front of him, he has to bring himself to a hover as confusion takes hold. He is sure that he is not imagining it, because he can hear how the flapping of his wings drowns out the sound for a moment every time he beats them, but he doesn’t know what to make of it at all, until the calming tune abruptly stops to give way to–

“Oh? What are you doing just hovering out there? Would you like to come in?”

Killian nearly startles in shock – then again, he isn’t sure if that’s really possible in his form – but he is quick to overcome it as he steels himself and flies forwards with equal senses of curiosity and apprehension.

He feels another wave of surprise wash over him as all of a sudden, an invisible force passes through his body. It feels strange and unwelcome, and a few tingles rush all over underneath his feathers, but then his focus instantly shifts to the smiling face of the young maiden who seemed to just materialise in front of him.

He only realises that he has yet again paused in mid-air when she reaches her arm out to him, obviously for him to perch on, and patiently waits, and he doesn’t hesitate to come forward, especially with the benign smile she is giving him.

He settles on her pinkie, and she brings him safely inside her small yet cosy abode.

He notices that there are oddly no doors to lead to the outside, nor perhaps to a stairwell.

Come to think of it, he is sure that he didn’t notice a tower of any sort amongst the thick forest that she is now clearly residing in. It occurs to Killian then that there must be some sort of protection spell around the area to conceal this place from the eyes of the rest of the world with the intention to keep people out – and to keep people _in_.

He becomes wary on instinct, but looking back at the calm and peaceful features of the girl, it is obvious that she does not mean any harm, and that there is a high possibility that she isn’t the one responsible for the magic outside.

Then, her sweet and gentle voice brings him out of his thoughts.

“You must be tired. Would you like to accompany me on this particularly uneventful night? You don’t mind me not speaking much, do you? I heard that others might take my silence as off-putting,” she teases, and the carefree tone of her voice banishes his sense of cautiousness instantly.

After guiding him to shift onto her windowsill, she turns her attention back to the book in her lap that Killian failed to notice before.

With the new comfortable silence, he has time to ponder about this whole situation.

Is this young woman being held prisoner? For how long has she been here? Who put her here?

He glances at her face and finds he can’t bring himself to look away.

Her green eyes are gleaming softly in the light of the candle sitting on her bedside behind her as they swiftly follow the words on the page, and the corner of her lips is upturned the slightest as she smirks at something Killian can only assume is comical that is happening in the story. He can’t help but notice the way the light of the moon casts an otherworldly shine on her light-coloured hair – or it might just be her hair itself that can glow so brilliantly like that on its own, and the moonlight just helps to make it more apparent in this moment. Either way, Killian finds himself utterly captivated by her presence.

He didn’t notice the time fly by, because it feels too soon when the girl closes her book and places it on her bedside table before she turns to face him again.

“Well, I’m glad to see you weren’t bored by my silence and haven’t flown off by now.” She pauses to chuckle, and a warm feeling spreads in his chest at the mere chime of it. If he could smile, he is sure one would have appeared on his face without conscious thought. “But, I’m off to bed now. I can’t be sure, but it must be late... Do you have anywhere else to be?”

The instinct from the animal part of him makes him cock his head to the side, and it makes a tickled smile appear on her face. The human part of him, now, thinks that he might like to do that more often, if only to elicit the same reaction.

“Ha ha, you’re cute. I guess I’ll take that as a no.” She turns to look around her sleep space, and before Killian can think to wonder why, she faces him again wearing an apologetic smile when she says, “Well, I’m so sorry I don’t have a suitable bed for you at the moment. Are you all right with staying on my windowsill for tonight?”

For a rare time, he is grateful that he is in this form so that she can’t see the blush that would have been on his face right now.

He answers the only way he can and gives her his gentlest croak.

The smile she gives him then makes something that has gone dark within him a long time ago threaten to flicker alight for the smallest moment, and he doesn’t know why but he wants to cling to it and let it rekindle all the way.

(Perhaps if he spends more time with her, he’ll eventually grow the courage to bring it back to life himself.)

“All right, then. I can’t think of a name for you yet, but I guess that also depends on if I’ll see you again tomorrow, but anyway, goodnight, new friend.”

His heart thuds at that, and he thinks he can’t possibly stay away from her after this. Most people disdain at the sight of such a dark-coloured being as himself and are eager to chase him away – and he is almost certain that is precisely the reason the witch gave him this new form in the first place – so he has never heard anyone direct the word to him since he was turned.

_Friend._

He really wishes now that he could feel what it is like to smile again.

As he settles into a comfortable-enough position to fall asleep, his last thought is of what the maiden’s hair will look like bathed in the morning light, and what else might make her smile.

(And he doesn’t think to wonder how he managed to get past the barrier if it worked so well at concealing this prison from his own eyes before.)

Killian wakes to a pleasant sound, fully opening his eyes when he realises how familiar it is.

The first thing his gaze lands on is her, or more specifically, her waves of golden hair.

Her back is to him as her fingers work on something that he cannot yet catch sight of, but at the moment he is mesmerised by the way her hair seems to have caught all the sunlight streaming in through her open window. He can see the varying shades of pure yellow, and he thinks he has never seen anything quite as spectacular.

He is only broken out of his state of admiration when she turns around and looks at him.

“Well, what do you think?” she asks with that same kind smile, holding up an intricately woven piece that if Killian is not mistaken, looks like it’s meant to be a bird’s nest.

His heart does a little jump at her thoughtfulness, but it must have echoed throughout his entire system because his wings do an appreciative flap as he caws at her.

The smile on her face widens as she stands up from her desk and walks across the room to place her artwork gingerly on the slab of stone beneath the window.

“There you go. Now you have a proper bed.”

He makes a show of his gratitude by hopping into the nest and settling into it comfortably, earning himself a pretty laugh.

“Aww, you’re very welcome.” She must have seen his look of curiosity at the actual branches she used to make it, because then she gestures to the chest next to her desk and doesn’t hesitate to explain, “The witch who locked me up here left me this chest, enchanted to produce whatever I need as long as it’s not a weapon or anything I can use to craft a way out of here.”

At another questioning glance sent her way, a sad smile overtakes her features when she looks at him with understanding, and Killian regrets asking – or as much as he can in his state, anyway.

“The chest is able to summon items based on my intention, so if I think of something that could help me escape, it won’t give it to me.”

For a prolonged moment, she is silent, and Killian doesn’t know what he could do to ease the tension in the air – it’s not like he could say anything if he wanted to, anyway – but she saves herself by heaving a small sigh and summons a smile back to her face, but it doesn’t contain the mirth that it used to.

“Now, enough of the sad thoughts. I regret to say that I can’t provide any food for you, because for some reason the chest doesn’t seem to be able to conjure up any berries at the moment, so I’m afraid you’ll have to go and find some out there.”

He can read the look she is sending him so easily that it’s almost as if she isn’t even trying to hide it – it is obvious she is thinking that he will leave and not return, and as she turns away, likely to avoid watching him go, he feels the strongest urge to return as soon as he can just so he can assure her that he never planned to stay away.

(And it is _so worth it_ when the grin she graces him with when he appears at her window later holds such happiness and _hope_ that it makes him sure of the fact that he never wants to leave her side.)

He doesn’t count the days that go by as he spends them in her lovely company; he sees the sheer happiness his presence brings her, and he often finds himself in deep sorrow when he remembers time and time again that he is probably the only other living presence she has had in a very long time, and he doesn’t even want to think of exactly how long that is. He can’t claim to understand her situation completely, for although he is hindered from interacting with other humans, he is still granted the simplest ability to be around others, but she, on the other hand, has had no contact with any other living organism as far as he knows until him.

That is, until she tells him something quite peculiar.

“The witch cast her magic on this tower to hide me from the rest of the world – some vengeance plot, is all she told me,” she laughs bitterly, and instead of the pleasant tingles her laughter usually sends all over his system, the lifeless sound sends a horrible throb to his heart. “She assured me that no human would ever be able to see or find me here, but she never said anything about animals.” Her sweet, genuine smile returns, and he instantly feels better. “It’s just that, I’ve never had any visitors until now… Until _you_. For that, I am grateful.”

Her fingertips are so gentle and careful as she strokes his small head, and he wishes nothing more in that moment than that he could be human again so that he can look at her properly at eye level instead of having to crane his neck from all the way down here (and perhaps also that he could have his hands back to find out what hers would feel like in them).

He leans into her touch and lets himself close his eyes, wishing he could _talk_ and tell her how much she is starting to mean to him. For one thing, he is thankful that he can at least keep some things of his actual form – his human senses and emotions, in particular. He hasn’t felt such a connection to another before, and most certainly not one like _this_ , something so deep and lasting and that he feels is growing stronger with each passing day he spends here with her.

“What a handsome raven you are,” she teases, shifting her finger to rest under his chin before playfully rubbing it. “I just realised I haven’t told you my name yet.”

He opens his eyes and focuses on her features, awaiting to hear her name slip from her own lips, but she smirks chastely and pets his head one last time before bringing her arm back to rest her head on it on top of the windowsill. A shadow passes over her face then, and Killian sees the lingering loneliness that he has noticed before, the one that dims the light in her eyes sometimes when she is gazing into empty space and distracted with what he has a strong, sad suspicion are the type of thoughts that make her lay awake at night (because he feels a familiarity to it, and he knows it is because they are reminiscent of his own).

“It’s been a while since I heard my own name, even spoken by myself.” She tries to smile, but she must be tired today, as she barely keeps it up before letting the attempt weaken and drop into a small frown. “My name is _Emma_.”

Killian croaks supportively, and he receives a real smile and a fond caress to the feathers of his wings. He loves the idea that he can bring out that beautiful, bright smile that he adores so much.

“I’d give you a name if I could think of anything perfect just for you, but I’m afraid my mind isn’t working so well these days… If only you could talk and tell me yourself.”

_Yes, if only._

He doesn’t know what could have possibly triggered the emotions that are ripping into her heart right now, but he does know that it is absolutely horrible, and he has to stop it and help her somehow.

That night, he flew in after dinner to find her sitting with her knees propped up to her chest and a white and purple wool blanket clutched tightly in her grasp and held against her face, an obvious and desperate attempt to stem the tears that refused to stop flowing.

What makes him most worried is that she is making absolutely no sound, and he learnt that sometimes, the quiet pain is the worst.

He’s cursing himself that he can’t do anything other than perch next to her on her bed and stare at her with patient, reassuring eyes, and he doesn’t have much sense at the moment to consider if she’ll bother with his talons marking her bedsheet.

It feels like an eternity before she finally speaks, and when she does, the ache in his heart is so strong it is painful.

“I fell asleep without meaning to and dreamt of… _him_.” Her voice breaks at the mention of who Killian can only assume is her ex-lover, and the surge of protective anger is stronger than the jealousy coursing through his veins. “He… He was the only man who managed to get through the barrier at the time. That must have been… years ago.” She seems unsure, and his heart clenches at the reminder that she can’t even keep track of time in this forsaken place. “He said he would help free me, and I believed him because he was somehow able to keep coming back, and he was close because he was holding the rope right at the foot of the tower, but then a… _man_ , or I don’t know _what_ he is, he appeared out of thin air and told him that if he helped me he would never let him leave this realm, whatever that meant. He didn’t hesitate before he ran off without looking back.”

He watches as she closes her eyes, trying to clear them of the sting of tears, no doubt, and when she finally opens them, the lush green he loves so much is tinged with a darkness that reflects just how desolate she feels inside.

“ _He left me_ ,” she whispers, barely audible, but Killian has heard her speak to herself in such a hushed tone many times before that he has learnt how to hear her. “But you won’t leave me, will you?”

_No, I won’t_ , he wishes with every part of his being that he could tell her.

_Never._

It isn’t until the week after when Killian is out flying, looking for berries for breakfast like any regular morning, that he spots what looks like the remnants of a human-made trap lying on the forest ground. It resembles a net quite well and is made entirely out of rope, and appears sturdy enough to hold a grown adult up in the trees.

He gets an idea.

Emma said she can’t summon any materials from her chest bearing the intention of escape, so why not bring to her something from the outside?

He manages to find lots of rope from multiple leftover traps that should be more than enough for Emma to craft, and he diligently carries them in his talons all the way back to her, one by one.

He is amazed that it isn’t difficult to make his intention regarding the ropes clear to her; it seems like they really have forged a connection of a sort. His heart warms at the thought.

She has tears in her eyes when she understands, and he can see that she is struggling to express her gratitude, but he kindly saves her and caws urgently for her to get to work.

He himself can’t wait to see her free.

The smile on her face remains throughout her swift and skilled weaving, and he can’t help but feel a sense of pride for that accomplishment.

The completed work is sturdy and shows no chance of breaking, but there is a lingering fear nestled in Killian’s chest that continues to grow as he watches her climb down after throwing it out the window. He is flying by her side, giving her enough space to make her descent, though he doesn’t know what he could possibly do if she were to slip and lose her grip. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for the rest of eternity if she plummets to her death and he could do nothing but helplessly watch.

Thankfully, she makes it all the way down with just a cut on her palm – a deep one, nonetheless.

Killian croaks indignantly at her as she dusts herself off with her other hand, and he doesn’t hesitate to pull out a small cloth from the bag he carried down beforehand.

“Oh, you’re so sweet…” she pants, still catching her breath, as he gingerly secures the cloth around her hand with his talons and wraps it up neatly using his beak.

She sends him a smile before she finally looks up to take in her surroundings.

He watches her carefully as a tearful beam lights up her features, and she laughs softly to herself at the thought that she has finally, _finally_ escaped.

“Oh, I couldn’t have done this without you,” she says through the clogging in her throat from imminent tears. She brings her hand where he is currently perched to her shoulder, inviting him to hop over.

She gathers the bag on the ground and briefly looks through the few belongings she decided to take with her before slinging it over her other shoulder and for the first time, walking away from the tower that has been her prison for as long as she can remember.

From the inside, the boundary separating her prison from the rest of the world is much more noticeable than from the outside. The transparent layer of magic flickers when it catches the light at some parts, and it seems to move on its own, slowly and sluggishly, like calm yet sinister waves.

They stare at it for minutes, quite unsure of what to do now, until he is startled by her sudden voice.

“I’m not sure if it will work, but I’ve always wanted to try this.”

Confused by what she means, he doesn’t get the chance to ask – as much as he can – when she reaches out her uninjured hand, and immediately, a pure white light gently bursts forth from her palm and meets with the magic of the barrier.

Miraculously, her _magic_ – is what Killian decides it is – rips into the barrier, where a different layer of light spreads over the rest of the wall of magic. Before he can react, Emma tentatively extends her outstretched hand and brushes her fingertips against the altered barrier, and a pleased smile stretches her lips as she lets the rest of her hand pass through, then her body.

As Killian, still perched on her shoulder, moves through the barrier, he feels an odd sensation envelop him. It isn’t painful nor unpleasant, just… weird, as if his insides are roiling and shifting about.

Then, he _feels_ his bones shift and grow underneath his pelt, and he doesn’t dare look down because he knows he would see his feathers start to fade back into skin.

It hurts him in his heart to have to do what he is about to, but he obeys when his instinct tells him to _get away_.

He doesn’t get to bid her a farewell before he lurches off her shoulder and takes to the sky up above, determined to fly as fast and as far away as he can.

He barely hears her worried _“Where are you going?”_ as he soars above the trees, putting an agonising distance between them, and he knows, he just _knows_ she thinks she has scared him off, and the knowledge that he may never be able to see her again to tell her what she unknowingly did for him – both with regards to his curse and his heart – pains him.

The only thought that comforts him, despite the bitterness that bites into his heart, is that she probably wouldn’t understand anyway.

He only wishes that she will be able to find someone to help her and that she will be safe out here without his protection (though it isn’t like he could do much in that form), and that is before his thoughts are painfully interrupted by the harsh collision between his body – _human_ , this time – and the dirt ground.

He counts the months that pass until he finally, _finally_ sees her again, and he told himself not to feel hurt when she will inevitably look at him and not have a flicker of recognition in her eyes…

But then he finds that he never had to prepare, because the look she faces him with when they cross paths again is warm and kind – which might just be a habit of her nature, but he relishes it all the same.

They are standing out in the balcony of the palace where she was born, both attending a ball but just him being one of the many guests, being Lieutenant, after all. The people inside are revelling in the festivities, celebrating the princess’ return after 28 years (coincidentally the age Killian himself was transformed into a raven, but that was five years ago), but Killian found that he much preferred the magnificent sight of the sea from this point of view – until his gaze landed on _her_ , when she stepped away from the celebration in her honour.

His smile automatically appears on his face, and he knows she will take it as a kind greeting, so he keeps the flutter of his heart to himself when she returns it warmly.

He doesn’t expect her to take a step towards him, perhaps merely in interest, but a sort of _knowing_ look in the soft green of her eyes tells him otherwise.

“Evening, Your Highness. Are you enjoying the ball?”

He tries to keep his voice steady, but he can’t help feeling self-conscious with the brimming excitement of meeting her in his true form at last.

She hums, reminding him of the very same sound that brought him to her in the first place, and a feeling of fondness embraces his chest.

“I suppose…” Her mind seems elsewhere, and he worries about what might be running through it.

They ease into a calming silence, neither of them speaking again for several beats, enjoying the peaceful evening ambience together, until Princess Emma turns to face him once again.

“May I tell you a secret?”

His heart beats harder at that, but he gathers himself and gives her a reassuring nod.

“It’s honestly difficult to get used to people calling me ‘Your Highness’ and ‘Princess Emma’. It still feels odd, even after all these weeks. For my entire life, the only thing I had was a blanket with my name on it to link me to what my life would have been like, and then I made a friend.”

Killian doesn’t miss the small, fond smile that appears then, and it makes his heart soar to know that he meant enough to her to mention to a complete stranger.

“But then he flew away after he helped me escape, and I never saw him again. I guess that might have been his purpose all along.”

Killian blinks, a chill running down his spine, and he thinks then that it must be fate that brought him to her.

“Good thing for the raven, then. I’m sure he’s very glad that you’re safe and home now.”

He watches her as she holds his gaze, and the sly smile that spreads on her lips makes his heart flutter.

“I never said anything about a _raven_.”

Killian’s heart stutters at his slip-up, and he tries to mask it with a look of indifference and calm. But before he can try to save himself, her smile falls and a meaningful shine emerges in her eyes as they seem to search his when she steps closer, enough so that their breaths are mingling.

“Why do I get the feeling that we’ve met before, Lieutenant?” her voice dips, and the softness of her tone and the pleasant blush of her cheeks sends one to his own.

He can’t find the right words, but he thinks he doesn’t need to because deep down, he gets a feeling that she already knows the truth.

But then he suddenly feels rather coy, so he doesn’t need to put in much effort as his eyes are already heavily lidded when he brings the corner of his mouth up to a teasing smirk, and a thrill runs through him when he sees her eyes flicker down at the movement for the briefest moment. A rush of confidence helps him form the words he utters next,

“Perhaps I might have seen you in my dreams.”

Her eyes flutter in shock, and the shy blush that instantly follows makes his heart beat harder still. He isn’t prepared in the slightest for her reply.

“Well, we’re both wide awake now... What do you suggest? Would you like to get acquainted again?”

He has to swallow when she takes his hand then, and it is the first time he feels her skin against his like he, for so long, has yearned for. He already knows he can’t ever get enough as tiny bursts of energy travel all along the surface of his skin as she gently brushes her thumb against the back of his hand.

He can’t think of anything else to say, except for the truth that carries more than he can speak right now (– that he’ll gladly be with her for every waking moment now that he can), and her answering brilliant smile fully lights up that feeling in his chest that has been dead for years.

“As you wish.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope this wasn't so confusing to read. I feel inexperienced at writing at the moment so I deeply apologise if some things are unclear, so I'm leaving some points of clarification as well as plot points that I couldn't figure out how to properly embed into the story itself for fear of making them out-of-place or hard to understand (maybe one day when I feel up to it I'll go back and write them in properly):
> 
> \- Killian was 28 years old when he was cursed (turned into a raven) and Emma was taken from the palace and locked away in a tower since birth; Killian's curse lasted for five years  
> \- I wasn't sure if I wanted them both to be cursed by the same witch but if you feel like it fits, then feel free to consider it :)  
> \- Like I mentioned, Killian still has his human senses and emotions, so he can see with human vision, etc.; the witch who cursed Emma cast the protection spell around the tower to prevent any living organism from being able to enter, but Emma didn't know that and thought it only applied to humans, so she wasn't very surprised when she met Killian. The reason why Killian was able to pass through the barrier is that he's sort of a loophole, since he has an animal form but still has human senses, so he can cross the limits if that makes sense... I don't know if that's how magic works in canon but I just pretended that it can so that I can sorta make this fic work ><
> 
> Sigh, I wish I wasn't so long-winded, but thank you for reading till the end if you're still here!! I'm not so sure about how I feel about the title; it's really hard to come up with something fitting and enchanting, so I hope this is all right. Kudos to all the other writers who have such lovely titles for their works <3 Any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated (and I probably need it haha) :) Hope you're having a wonderful day!
> 
> P.S. This fic was inspired by a webtoon I discovered some time ago.


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